Give Me A Reason
by BriCat03
Summary: Hey. It's Alexander Hamilton. Live and in stereo. And don't adjust the volume on your... whatever device you're listening on. It's really me. If you're listening to this, then it's already too late. So to everyone listening, welcome. Get comfy. I'm about to tell you the story of my life. Or rather, why my life ended...
1. Prolouge

Eliza walked through the mall, desperate to get her shit and get out.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry." She kept muttering as she pushed through the crowd. She just needed some new headphones from Route 21. Then she could leave. But, Route 21 is all the way in the back.

 _Crap._

She picked up her pace, shoes hitting the floor and squeaking with each step. When she finally made it to the large store, she sighed with relief. No one was in there except for two cashiers.

"Welcome to Route 21." they greeted in unison. Eliza nodded in response, making a b-line for the headphone shelf.

She picked up a pair of blue headphones and stalked over to the counter. She probably looked insane, a large black trench coat hiding her slim frame, her thin t-shirt showing off a slim stomach, almost so you could see her ribs, from eating little to nothing the past two weeks.

"Ten ninety-nine please."

Eliza forked over a twenty and waited while the girl handed her the change.

"Thank you come again!"

 _I probably wont, but thanks for the offer._

The twenty year-old straightened the blue tank-top she had on and adjusted her collar before rushing to the exit. When she finally was greeted with the outside world, the rain started pouring harder. The familiar sound of George Washington's voice boomed behind her.

"Hey Eliza, need a lift?" he offered nodding to his old truck. He hadn't upgraded it from it's original state, so it only played tapes.

"Yeah sure." She followed him the few feet over there and got in the passenger side. "Thanks George." she said as she was buckling in.

George smiled and nodded to the tapes. "Mind if I play you something?" and she nodded.

Eliza stared out the window, still trying to process the mystery that was Alexander Hamilton. He killed himself a little over two weeks ago. She felt horrible. Nothing was ever the same after that. Slowly some people started changing. Like John, Lafayette, you know? His friends. It wasn't too unusual, I mean come on! They just lost their best friend!

George stopped the car about fifteen minutes later. "There you are. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah." she murmured. "See you."

The brunette stepped up to her house, a tiny house in the suburbs. On the steps was a package labeled in big black sharpie "Elizabeth Schuyler", the brown bag taped closed with scotch tape. Eliza picked up her package and went inside, closing the door behind her. She set her stuff down on the counter, next to her toaster and grabbed a pair of scissors. With a practiced precision she opened the package and lifted the lid off the shoe box that was contained inside.

Inside the jungle of bubble wrap was seven tapes. On the top left corner of each tape, and each side, was a number, in red sharpie, all the way to thirteen, leaving the last side of seven blank. She carefully took them out and examined them, seeing if any clues were there.

She took the tapes to her office, where a small stereo that, surprisingly, still played tapes, was located. She sat down and put the tape in there. When the little door to the stereo closed, she pressed play...

 **Hey! So what did you think? This was just the prologue chapter. Things will get better next chapter! If you didn't know, this is a follow up of my old story, Cold Champagne, so it has a little more background on a few of the characters that make their stories make more sense.  
**

 **Please follow favorite and review! It will help me churn out faster chapters!**


	2. Reason 1

_Hey. It's Alexander Hamilton. Live and in stereo. And don't adjust the volume on your... whatever device you're listening on. It's really me. If you're listening to this, then it's already too late. So to everyone listening, welcome. Get comfy. I'm about to tell you the story of my life. Or rather, why my life ended..._ The tape played for her as she stuck it in the player. She grimaced. Eliza was hoping that she never had to hear those words again.

 _I could start from the very end but where would that leave everyone else? If you're listening to this, each of you has a side of a tape. One of you, gets two, just not in order. So now, let me tell you the rules of this game._ _One, you listen._ _Two, you pass them on._ _Simple._

Eliza's blood ran cold. Would she have two tapes? She kept listening, desperate to get this over with.

 _Hopefully, neither of those should be easy for you. However,_

However?

 _If you all don't finish the tapes, for whatever reason, then all of these tapes will be released to the public, all of the people in this town, possibly in the state, would know what you all did._ _Now_ _Onto the first person._

Eliza shivered. How far back was he going? If he was going back to then, why her? Why was she the start?

 _September 1st. 2016. The day I met John Laurens. He was awesome. Sweet, kind, generous. Everything you could ask for in a friend or… More._

Eliza stopped. John started this? What? He was a great person. What could he have possibly done to Alexander to make him want to kill himself? And why did Alex take so long to go through with it if it started almost a year ago.

 _I set up a whole date planned for him. We would go to the park where I would tell him how I feel and, possibly, steal a kiss from him._ _Oh by the way, I gave you each a map earlier this week, or rather, the week before I died. Follow the stars. This park was at A6 on your map guys._

Eliza paused the tape player. She needed to go here. Not to relive Alex's year, but to know why he lead her here. Was there a last wish he wanted carried out and this was the only way to know what he wanted? She didn't know how to get there and keep listening so she pressed play, unsure of why she was.

 _Anyway, I was waiting. I sent him a text. Yes. I should've called him. But no. I didn't. Maybe that was why he expected more from me._

More? What more could John have wanted from the Caribbean man?

 _I was patiently waiting by the slide when he showed up. He grunted. I assumed the worst for reasons you'll find out later._ _"What's wrong?" I asked him._

She blanched. She knew exactly why John had expected more.

 _"Nothing." he had told me. "Just… less than I had hoped."_ _I would like to point out-_

She paused the tape and started walking. Where? She didn't exactly know. She just couldn't listen to this. Not now.

She needed to find the park. She needed to listen there. George.

George had an old walkman that played tapes. Old plastic headphones only worked with it. Perfect to drown out everything but Hamilton's voice.

"Hey Eliza. Dad, you remember Eliza right?" the taller man said to his dad.

"Yeah the one… Hey do you think she could help with old hickory here?*" his dad dismissed her coolly. He obviously didn't remember.

She shrugged. George nodded to the car. "start her up." as it sputtered and smoked, they cued her to turn it off. While they were digging around, she looked down. The walkman was on the backseat floorboard. She shoved it and the old plastic headphones in her pocket.

"Hey George, thanks for the talk but I gotta go. I'm… Meeting someone at the park." she lied smoothly. He nodded and Eliza walked off.

Once out of range, she put the tape in and kept playing. She had enough to last the night. First. The park.

 _I would like to point out that I didn't know about the "hottest guy who's also bi" list. It wasn't on the top of the social networks in the school, but it was up there._

Eliza had seen that list. She didn't know Alex at the time. He seemed so shy that she basically ignored him.

 _So anyway. After I told him how I felt I sat him down on the swingset and we leaned in and…._ _We kissed._ _Nothing more. He pecked me on the lips and we both left. Now I don't know if you heard the rumors, but I don't know who started them, why they did, or why John went along with them. But apparently, we had sex. In the middle of a fucking PARK!_

She blanched. She heard those rumors. Nothing seemed real as she thought back to the list. Lafayette had added Hamilton right before she saw.

 _So, sorry John, but this was where things got out of control. End of side A._

Finally reaching the park, she settled down, and flipped the tape. Side B. Here goes nothing.

 ***Hey do you think she could help with old hickory here? - This was a nickname given to president Andrew Jackson, correct me if I'm wrong, and I just felt like using it. There's absolutely no relation from the car to the president.**

 **I'm not dead! I had writer's block. But I'm back! So John is Justin... hehe...**

REVIEWS:

thatwritermadeofpotatoes: A. yes very 13RW vibe. B. Never seen the show either. I'm going based off of the book. C. Thank you for reading. D. PUNS I LOVE ME SOME PUNS!!!

Guest 1: Very Dark.

Guest 2: Here's your update! Sorry it's late! And I know right? GW is SO Tony!

Guest 3: Just gonna say this: 1. Eliza and Ham aren't married and 2. Alex is already dead, he can't be saved.

Whistling Willows: Now that I've listened to Be More Chill, all I can think of whenever I see your review is "Now get ready... to more... than survive!". I DON'T THINK YOU'RE READY!

toomanydamfandoms: I see you around a lot. Hi. I did this. References are inevitable. I actually didn't intend for Eliza's outfit to be JD it just kinda suited the "stormy night" kind of gloom. I hope you'll get the story update for this! I haven't seen the show either. Books are fabulous things. Love me some Janthony.

Claire: Can't reveal the future but go look at adorable Anthony. Things are looking up from here... after the whole, suicide thing.


	3. Reason 2

Eliza sat on the swing as the tape recorder clicked, desperately trying to start the tape in its old compartment.

 _Hey. Alex again. Back to our story shall we…_ _I decided, after the whole flop with John, that instead of a boyfriend, I need a best friend. That's when Burr walked into my life._

Burr?

 _He was cool. He tried to help me stop worrying so much about my reputation and legacy and just be… More chill…_

He hated Burr. At least… That's what Eliza had thought. When were they ever friends?

 _We started hanging out at a coffee shop not far from the park. B4._

She started walking, listening as she went.

 _We would sit in the table in the corner and drink hot chocolate, even when it was hot. That was out thing. Then Angelica Schuyler got added to the mix._

Eliza would've spit out her drink if she was drinking one. Her sister? Of all the people that Alexander could have been friends with, Angelica?!

 _Inevitably, Angelica and Burr started dating-_

She paused to gather her thoughts. So that's why they always acted strange.

 _-and that's when I started losing Burr. So Angelica had made the "hottest guy who's also bi" list. Huge mistake._ _Because she made it-_ _While dating Aaron Burr._

Eliza reached the café. It was nearly empty but the exact table Alex had said was taken, so she sat on the other side of the room, ordered a hot chocolate, and kept listening.

 _And I was on the top. Burr was furious and acused me of trying to seduce Angelica. We stopped talking, thus ending our friendship..._

A beat of silence crossed over the tape.

 _And this tape._

 **sorry this chappy is so short. I just felt no reason for the Jessica/Burr and Alex/Angelica section to be too long.** **Bone apple the teeth.** REVIEWS:

Hetalian: yeah it did kinda go downhill... But it gets better trust me. Yeah you should probably listen to It's Quiet Uptown instead.

dramatickeychanges: A. CAN I JUST SAY WHAT A BEAUTIFUL USERNAME THAT IS??!?!? B. I'm glad it's not just me and my friend who read it before it was a show (I read it while it was a show but I read it before I saw the show.)

thatwritermadeofpotatoes: I'm glad you enjoy reading my stuff! OHMYGOD COME JOIN MY FAMILY! PUNS ARE WHAT WE LIVE OFF OF! Deadexander Hamilgone. I died and it was like 5 AM when I saw your review. I can hear the crickets chirping as I write this... I can finally kill someone with ANGST! This chapter isn't that Hamiltastic. The other one had been simmering for a few weeks before I finished and published... This one I wrote... eh maybe thirty minutes ago...


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